KINSHASA: FIFA Council member Constant Omari Selemani, president of the football association of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FECOFA), has been freed on bail for health reasons after being detained on Tuesday night in an embezzlement inquiry writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Also arrested with him and also since released were Sports Ministry secretary-general Barthelemy Okito, FECOFA’s second vice-president Theobald Binamungu and finance director Roger Bondembe.

Omari, a 60-year-old railway construction engineer, was voted on to the governing council (formerly executive committtee) of world football federation FIFA in 2015.

He is also a vice-president with the Confederation of African Football and has served on organising committees for the Africa Cup of Nations, the Under-20 African Championship and club competitions, plus management of the CAF club licensing system.

Omari has also been a member of the CAF disciplinary board and the FIFA disciplinary committee as well as having been a member of the reform commission chaired by Swiss lawyer Francois Carrard.

The trio were detained on the orders of the the Kinshasa-Matete Court of Appeal in response to a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation is being run by Luzolo Bambi, the head of state’s special adviser on the fight against corruption.

A statement from Bambi’s office said the trio were suspected of misuse of funds and embezzlement of around $1m on behalf of national and club teams of the DRC.

Constant Omari . . . FIFA Council member since 2015

The arrests came only weeks after a row between FECOFA and the Ministry of Sports over demands by the federation for more than $1m to fund organisation of four recent national and youth team and club matches.

An immediate suspension of the national championship was announced, in protest, by the management commission of the National Football League (LINAFOOT).

A statement said: “LINAFOOT regrets to inform public opinion in general and in particular the clubs engaged in the 23rd edition of the national championship, that in solidarity with the president of the FECOFA and its two vice-presidents, humiliated and unjustly deprived of their freedom, it is suspending all activities until further notice.”

Omari supported Gianni Infantino in his successful campaign to become FIFA president in 2016 and also switched sides to back the ousting last year of long-serving Issa Hayatou as president of CAF by Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad.

FIFA commented only that it was “following the matter.”

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